A Prevalent Issue in the United States

Child pornography is a serious crime with serious consequences. According to the United States Department of Justice, child pornography is a form of child sexual exploitation. According to Federal Law, child pornography is any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct that involves a child less than 18 years of age. In the 1980s, child the U.S. Department of Justice saw a significant decrease in the amount of child sexual abuse images in the United States.

With the development of the Internet, though, pornographic images have begun to circulate via the web. Producing and distributing child sexual abuse images has become easy and inexpensive. Because of this, the Department of Justices has renewed its efforts to end child pornography in the United States and across the globe. Because of the serious criminal nature of child pornography, the child pornography offense in the United States merit harsh penalties.

Have you been accused?

For a person who has been accused of any federal offense related to child pornography, the future may seem an entirely bleak place. Child pornography is a crime that is considered particularly heinous by federal investigators and prosecutors and the public at large, resulting in exceedingly zealous efforts by federal agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to secure convictions and put defendants behind bars. Media attention is also possible in these cases, leading to a ruined career and reputation. Then there is the fact that the defendant will have to register as a sex offender for life. These extreme consequences make involving a Los Angeles child pornography defense lawyer all the more important.

Federal Defense for Child Pornography Charges

Today, more and more child pornography cases involve possession or distribution via the internet. This presents a whole new set of issues that any prosecuting attorney will have to deal with. It is typically harder to prosecute a defendant based upon internet child pornography charges. It is difficult to prove that the defendant is the one who actually downloaded, viewed or distributed the material. A hacker or “ghost” could have logged into the computer from another location and committed the act. A federal defense attorney will also need to understand the specific issues associated with evidence in these cases in order to build a compelling case on a client’s behalf.

Because it spans state lines and national borders, the involvement of the internet in a child pornography case also increases the likelihood that a defendant will face federal charges, which are subject to harsh penalties under Federal Sentencing Guidelines. You need an aggressive defense against child pornography charges in federal court. Your entire future may be at risk; the steps you take now may have a dramatic influence on the outcome of your case and whether you face serious penalties.